Heat exchanger



April 18, 1933. c. w. METZGAR HEAT EXCHANGER Fi 1ed July 25, 1931 BAKELITE INVENTOR. (beSfeI II I Meg aw:

HIS ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHESTER W. METZ GAR, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO INGERSOLL-RAND' COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY HEAT EXCHANGEE Application filed July 23,

This invention relates to heat exchangers, but more particularly to the deflecting means or baflies of heat exchangers employed in connection with compressors for cooling the air between stages of compression.

One object of the invention is to prevent injury to the cooling liquid conveying tubes of the exchanger by the baffles through which the-tubes extend and whereby the intermedi ate portions of the tubes are supported.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a heat exchanger constructed in accoridance with the practice of the invention, an

Figure 2 is aperspective view partly broken away of a baffle constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, A designates generally a heat exchanger of the intercooler type comprising a casing B having the usual inlet and outlet openings O and D respectively for the admission and discharge of the medium intended to be cooled.

The ends of the casing B are provided with suitable closures or covers E and F which may be secured to the casing in any convenient manner.

One of the covers, as for instance the cover- E, may serve as a water head for supplying water to a coollng unit or element comprlsing 1n th1s lnstance a serles of tubes G secured at one end to a tube sheet H which may be clamped, as illustrated, between the cover E and the end of thecasing B. The'tubes G extend longitudinally through the casing and are supported at the other ends by a tube sheet J which is encircled by the casing and is provided with a water box K which, like the cover E, may be divided into a plurality of compartments through which the water flows from a row or series of rows of tubes to other tubes adjacent thereto and communicating with the same compartment.

The cooling liquid or water may, as is customary, be introduced into the lowermost 1931. Serial No. 552,587.

compartment of the cover E through a connection L and, after passing through the cooling element and the uppermost compartment in the cover E, flow or be discharged through a connection 0 secured to the cover E.

In accordance with the practice of the invention, the heat exchanger A is provided with a plurality of rigid plates or baffles P constructed ofnon-abrasive materials, as for instance bakelite. The baflles are arranged in the casing B in staggered formation in the usual manner to deflect or direct the medium intended to be cooled laterally through the casing B to insure its intimate and repeated contact with the surfaces of the tubes G. The baflles P are provided with the apertures Q, through which the tubes G extend and the baffles therefore serve, as an additional function, to support the intermediate portions of the tubes and hold said tubes in suitably spaced relation with respect to each other.

Any suitable number of balfles may be employed, depending upon the length of the heat exchanger. In the drawing five are illustrated, three of which are disposed on one side of the casing B and two on the opposite side and said baflles are preferably arranged equi-distantly with respect to each other in order to assure equal flow area between adjacent baffles.

The apertures Q, are preferably only sufficiently larger than the tubes to permit the tubes G to pass readily therethrough.

Owing to the use of bakelite baffles, the period of serviceability of the cooling element is greatly prolonged, particularly that of the tubes G. The substance, bakelite, of which the baffles P consist is of a lesser degree of hardness than the tubes G, which usually consist of brass, and will therefore not chafe the tubes as so frequently happens in structures of this character.

In exchangers employing baflles constructed of metal plates or other abrasive substances, tube failure at the point of contact of the battles with the tubes is an ever recurring source of trouble and expense. Particularly in exchangers, such as that disclosed, wherein the medium intended to be cooled does not flow through the exchanger in a 2 teeters continuous and unfluctuati'ng stream, but as impulses which sweep laterally of the exchanger and will therefore subject the tubes to opposing laterally applied pressures so that the tubes will be caused to vibrate rapidly and to be pressed sharply against the edges ofthe apertures Q upon each discharge of fluid into the exchanger.

Another very desirable advantage of the present invention is that, owing to the use of bakelite bafiles, the weight of the cooling element or tube assembly is light as compared with prior known structures. In consequence, the tube assembly may be handled with greater ease and there is therefore less tendency of the intermediate portions of the tubes to sag or become buckled during handling than in units wherein the tubes are subjected to the comparatively great weight of metallic baflies. 7

Although throughout this description bakelite has been mentioned as a preferred material for the baflies, it is to be understood that I do not wish to limit the invention to v the use of bakelite and that other non-metallic materials or substances possessing the properties which makes bakelite desirable for such use may be employed instead.

I claim:

1. A heat exchanger comprising a casing,

tubes in the casing, and rigid baflies of nonabrasive and non-metallic material in the casing for deflecting a medium flowing through I the casing and for supporting the intermediate portions of the tubes.

2. A heat exchange comprising a casing tubes in the casing, means supporting the ends of the casing, and bakelite plates in the casing to support the intermediate portions 40 of the tubes.

3. A heat exchanger comprising a casing, tubes in the casing, means supporting the ends of the tubes, and bakelite baflies to support the intermediate portions of the tubes and being arranged on opposite sides of the casing and in staggered relationship to deflect a medium flowing through the casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

CHESTER w. METZGAR. 

